Isa Pantami Wins PDP Gombe Governorship Primary Rerun
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 Gombe State election after winning the party’s September 29 primary rerun.
Pantami secured the highest number of votes in the fresh primary conducted across Gombe State’s 11 Local Government Areas, defeating fellow aspirants Khamisu Mailantarki and Aliyu Usman Garry.
According to the result announced by the PDP Governorship Primary Rerun Committee, Pantami scored 2,054 votes, while Mailantarki received 389 votes and Garry secured 112 votes.
The figures were announced at the PDP secretariat in Gombe after the completion and collation of the votes.
Why the PDP Held Another Primary
The September election was not the first time Pantami had emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate.
He had previously won the party’s May 2026 primary, but the process was challenged by other aspirants.
Khamisu Mailantarki and Aliyu Usman Garry had questioned the validity of the earlier exercise, leading to legal proceedings over the process through which Pantami was declared the winner.
Justice Amina Aliyu of the Federal High Court subsequently ordered the PDP to conduct another governorship primary.
The court’s decision meant that the party had to repeat the process rather than simply continue with the earlier result.
Pantami, Mailantarki and Garry were cleared to participate in the fresh exercise, giving the three aspirants another opportunity to contest for the PDP ticket.
Pantami Emerges Again
The rerun was conducted with delegates voting across the state’s 11 Local Government Areas.
Security personnel were also present during the exercise as the party worked to ensure that the process proceeded without major disruption.
The result gave Pantami a substantial lead over his two opponents, allowing the former minister to secure the PDP ticket for the 2027 governorship election.
The committee chairman, Johnbull Shekarau, formally announced Pantami as the winner after the votes had been collated.
Pantami subsequently thanked party members and the people of Gombe State for what he described as a peaceful process.
He also expressed his intention to work towards delivering the PDP ticket during the 2027 election.
Pantami’s Political Background
Pantami is widely known nationally because of his time as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
During his time in government, he was involved in policies and programmes connected to Nigeria’s digital economy, telecommunications sector and technology development.
His return to frontline state politics in Gombe has therefore attracted considerable attention beyond the state.
The governorship primary also comes with additional political significance because Pantami is seeking to move from his federal ministerial role into state-level leadership.
His victory means the PDP will now enter the 2027 Gombe governorship contest with Pantami as its candidate, although the wider election will involve candidates from other political parties.
What the Rerun Means for the 2027 Election
Pantami’s emergence does not itself determine the outcome of the 2027 governorship election. The general election will involve voters across Gombe State and candidates from different political parties.
His immediate task, however, is to consolidate the PDP structure following the internal contest and prepare for the wider election campaign.
The rerun also highlights the increasingly important role of internal party procedures and the courts in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The first primary produced a result that was later challenged in court, forcing the party to repeat the exercise. The second primary has now produced another victory for Pantami.
As the 2027 election approaches, attention will increasingly turn to how the various political parties organise their campaigns, select candidates and respond to issues affecting voters across Gombe State.
For now, Isa Pantami’s victory gives him the PDP governorship ticket and places him at the centre of the political contest ahead of the 2027 Gombe State election.
